Sydney FC emerge victorious with a 2-1 comeback win in an entertaining game in Gosford to go top of the ladder thanks to goals from Al Hassan Toure and Victor Campuzano in each half.
Central Coast Mariners FC 1 (Tapp 10’) def. by Sydney FC 2 (Toure 29’, Campuzano 68’)
Moments That Mattered:
10’ | TAPP GOAL – A well-executed volley off a corner fires the Mariners into the lead early.
25’ | MCCALMONT HITS THE BAR – Mariners on the break drive forward and McCalmont strikes a fierce shot off the bar.
29’ | TOURE GOAL – Quispe picks out the run of Al-Hassan Toure who runs it into the box and gets it around Storm Roux and Andrew Redmayne for a calm and collected effort into the far post to draw Sydney FC level.
36’ | MARINERS HITS THE BAR TWICE – Mariners get free in the left channel and cut the ball back inside but have two efforts which both cannon off the bar from Theoharous and De Lima.
43’ | CAMPUZANO GOAL OFFSIDE – Quispe feeds Lolley on the right and his cross is finished well by Campuzano but the Englishman is ruled offside earlier in the move.
68’ | CAMPUZANO GOAL – Tiago Quintal puts it on a platter for Victor Campuzano with a brilliant cross to head in past Andrew Redmayne to give Sydney FC a much-deserved lead.
82’ | DEVENISH-MEARES SAVE – With the Mariners bounding down on goal Mauragis shoots to the far post. Devenish-Meares stretches to save and maintain the lead for Sydney FC.
Match Report: Sydney FC have regained top spot on the A-League ladder with a comeback 2-1 win sealed by goals in each half by Al Hassan Toure and Victor Campuzano.
It was a back-and-forth during the first 10 minutes before a corner for Central Coast Mariners is capitalised on by Brad Tapp with a brilliant volley.
Sydney FC gained momentum during the rest of the half but it’s the home side who nearly score again with a long range strike from McCalmont.
Then just before the half hour a run from Piero Quispe deep in the opposition half sees the Peruvian lay it off to the open Al-Hassan Toure. Toure hits it first time from a tight angle between Storm Roux and Andrew Redmayne to draw level.
Mariners almost restored their advantage in the 36th minute when they hit the bar twice in the space of a few seconds and the Sky Blues escaped.
Then as half time neared Joe Lolley finds Victor Campuzano in the box who finishes but the goal is ruled out for a tight offside to deny Sydney FC the lead going into the break.
Sydney FC come back out of the tunnel determined to seal three points and after yet another half of back-and-forth the gates finally opened in the 68th minute through Tiago Quintal’s cross onto Victor Campuzano’s head to give Sydney FC a richly-deserved lead.
The end to end affair continues well into the second half as the Mariners make a run into the Sky Blues’ half, the ball is laid off to Lucas Mauragis who tries his luck at the far post where a defiant Harrison Devenish-Meares stretches out to keep the lead for Sydney FC late on.
The final whistle blisfully sounds in polytech Stadium where Sydney FC picks up three richly-deserved points.
What They Said: What They Said: Ufuk Talay: “The first half we weren’t great but we picked up in the second half.
“The work of Piero (Quispe) and Victor (Campuzano) today was immense, particularly off the ball.
“Our academy always produces good talent and Tiago is one of them, he got his first start today… but really pleased with his performance.”
Tiago Quintal: “He (Ufuk Talay) just put me in the 10 position and I just did my thing.
“I just saw a few people at the back post and I hung it up to see if anyone could get on it and Victor did.
“It’s pretty special to start for such a special historic club and it was a great opportunity.”
Sydney FC | 12. Harrison DEVENISH-MEARES, 23. Rhyan GRANT (c), 32. Marcel TISSERAND, 5. Alex GRANT, 17. Ben GARUCCIO, 10. Joe LOLLEY (81’ 13. Patrick WOOD), 36. Rhys YOULLEY, 20. Tiago QUINTAL (71’ 8. Wataru KAMIJO), 35. Al-Hassan TOURE (60’ 11. Abel WALATEE), 9. Victor CAMPUZANO, 7. Piero QUISPE
Unused Subs | 30. Gus HOEFSLOOT, 4. Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS, 16. Joel KING, 26 Nickolas ALFARO
Head Coach | Ufuk TALAY
Yellow Cards | Ufuk TALAY 88’, Rhyan GRANT 90’
Red Cards | None
Central Coast Mariners FC | 30. Andrew REDMAYNE, 15. Storm ROUX, 2. James DONACHIE, 3. Nathan PAULL, 5. Lucas MAURAGIS, 22. Arthur DE LIMA (56’ 11. Sabit James NGOR), 8. Alfie MCCALMONT, 26. Brad TAPP (c), 7. Christian THEOHAROUS (67’ 14. Nicholas DUARTE), 9. Ryan EDMONSON (55’ 37. Bradley BRANDTMAN), 10. Miguel DI PIZIO
Unused Subs | 40. Dylan PERAIC-CULLEN, 20. Will KENNEDY, 16. Harrison STEELE, 21. Abdul FAISAL
Head Coach | Warren MOON
Yellow Cards | 59’ 26. Brad TAPP, 90’+3 3. Nathan PAULL
Red Cards | None
Venue | polytech Stadium
Referee | Benjamin ABRAHAM
